Bring back "Crowd Chant" to Wild Hockey games

One of the most notable aspects of the Xcel Energy Center is its atmosphere. I recall going to the Wild games when I was little, caught up in the excitement and energy of the 18,000 fans around me. But there is one part of the Wild that I fell in love with and sorely missed this year. Their goal song.

That's because the official song is now Prince's "Let's Go Crazy." Now I have nothing against Prince. He is an icon to music that many Minnesotans can be proud of. But I do not listen to his music. Chances are, many Wild fans do not either. That's not to say we misunderstand his importance, it's just that he's from a different generation. Youth like me can not relate to him the way our parents can. Likewise, I can not relate to the North Stars the way my parents can. But the Wild, they are a team that I, and many others, grew up with. We grew up together. Through play-offs and heartbreaking losses, they have been there for us and we have been there for them. And no matter where you are, when you hear "Crowd Chant" by Joe Satriani you immediately think about Minnesota Wild hockey games and our rich hockey history. It is who we are.

Which is why I'm saddened to hear that we will be keeping Prince's song for this season. It lacks the crowd participation and the intimidation factor of thousands of voices yelling together. It simply feels out of place and takes the fun out of scoring a goal. It was a knee-jerk reaction that was dominated by season ticket holders, many of whom grew up in the golden years of Prince. I think that if the poll was placed with younger generations, we would not have decided to switch. Not out of disrespect to Prince, but because this is our Wild hockey team. They are all we have known and they hold a special place with us that they will simply not have with our parents and grandparents. And that includes their goal song.

Sometimes innovation is good, like the Vikings "SKOL" clap. But tradition has its place too. Which is why the Wild should restore the rightful goal celebration to the soundtrack. We need to keep the fan experience authentic and energizing. "Let's Go Crazy" does not do this.

It can be hard to find the right mix of energizing pump-up songs. But when done right it puts the bow on top of any game. Imagine a Wisconsin Badger's game without "Jump Around"? It would feel odd. This is how a Wild game feels without our classic goal song.

Mr. Leipold, listen to "Let's Go Crazy" at the next Wild game. You know how loud the arena can get since you are one of the most steadfast attendants. It will not come close to "Crowd Chant". Hopefully you can then understand our wish for change.

These reasons are more than enough to explain the importance and necessity of our goal song being restored. Hopefully the executives with the Wild will understand how many fans, especially younger fans, feel, and why we need to correct this for the sake of the State of Hockey. It was nice to honor Prince during the playoffs, but it is time to return to our roots. Because needless to say, we're just not that crazy about it.